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[av_heading heading=’Offensives against Reds would be ceaseless, says Army general ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Tuesday, November 28, 2017
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ILOILO City – “We will not stop offensive operations and our anti-insurgency campaign.”
This was what Brigadier General Pio Diñoso, commander of the Philippine Army’s 301st Brigade, declared following the rebels’ ambush of policemen in Barangay Bolo, Maasin, Iloilo on Nov. 24.
The military will work hand in hand with the police in repelling the rebels, he said.
The ambush killed one policeman of the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Mobile Forces Battalion and wounded 12 others.
“We have to level-up our intelligence monitoring,” said Diñoso. “What they are doing are acts of terrorism.”
After the ambush, the PRO-6 beefed up Maasin’s police force. The town’s police station was also raided by the New People’s Army (NPA) in June 18, 2017.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff General Rey Leonardo Guerrero ordered the beefing up of “focused military operations”, saying rebels are expected to intensify their attacks in wake of the termination of the peace talks.
“My directive to the troops is to intensify our ‘focused military operations’ to destroy the NPA, and to protect our communities against terrorism,” he said.
Military operations can prevent the rebels from harassing and intimidating communities, he added.
Guerrero said the AFP supports the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to cancel the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines – NPA – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) following the series of atrocities committed by the NPA against military and civilian targets in various parts of the country.
Around 64 soldiers, police officers and militiamen were killed while another 127 wounded in various attacks and ambushes conducted by the NPA this year alone, said Guerrero.
Aside from these, rebel attacks also accounted for 70 civilian deaths, including those of a four-month baby girl in Bukidnon on Nov. 9, along with 13 wounded and another 28 missing. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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